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lacerate
[ verb las-uh-reyt; adjective las-uh-reyt, -er-it ]
/ verb ˈlæs əˌreɪt; adjective ˈlæs əˌreɪt, -ər ɪt /
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verb (used with object), lac·er·at·ed, lac·er·at·ing.
to tear roughly; mangle: The barbed wire lacerated his hands.
to distress or torture mentally or emotionally; wound deeply; pain greatly: His bitter criticism lacerated my heart.
adjective
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Origin of lacerate
1535–45; from Latin lacerātus, past participle of lacerāre “to tear up” (derivative of lacer “mangled”); see -ate1
synonym study for lacerate
1. See maim.
OTHER WORDS FROM lacerate
Words nearby lacerate
lace into, laceleaf, lacemaking, lace pillow, lacerant, lacerate, lacerated, laceration, Lacerta, lacertid, lacertilian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use lacerate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for lacerate
lacerate
verb (ˈlæsəˌreɪt) (tr)
to tear (the flesh, etc) jaggedly
to hurt or harrow (the feelings, etc)
adjective (ˈlæsəˌreɪt, -rɪt)
having edges that are jagged or torn; laceratedlacerate leaves
Derived forms of lacerate
lacerable, adjectivelacerability, nounlaceration, nounlacerative, adjectiveWord Origin for lacerate
C16: from Latin lacerāre to tear, from lacer mangled
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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